The subject is one that demands the best attention of all who profess and call themselves Christians. In every age of the Church separation from the world has always been one of the grand evidences of a work of grace in the heart. He that has been really born of the Spirit, and made a new creature in Christ Jesus, has always endeavoured to “come out from the world,” and live a separate life. They who have only had the name of Christian without the reality, have always refused to ‘come out and be separate’ from the world.
The subject perhaps was never more important than it is, at the present day. There is a widely-spread desire to make things pleasant in religion—to saw off the corners and edges of the cross, and to avoid, as far as possible, self-denial. On every side we hear professing Christians declaring loudly that we must not be “narrow and exclusive,” and that there is no harm in many things which the holiest saints of old thought bad for their souls. That we may go anywhere, and do anything, and spend our time in anything, and read anything, and keep any company, and plunge into anything, and all the while may be very good Christians—this, this is the maxim of thousands. In a day like this I think it good to raise a warning voice, and invite attention to the teaching of God’s Word. It is written in that Word, ‘Come out, and be separate.
From Practical Religion, page 184; James Clarke, Cambridge, 1977 (original 1878). By J.C Ryle 1816-1900
“He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona:for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 16:15-17).
The most important question you could ever be asked is simply this: Do you in reality know the living Christ? The question is not, Are you religious? — Are you a church member? — Do you read the Bible? You may be very religious, yet not know Christ in the heart. You may be a loyal church member, a regular reader of God's Word, a person who “says” their prayers, or one who loves to study religious books and doctrine. But, these soul-searching questions still remain — Have you ever seen yourself a lost, vile sinner before a holy God? Have you ever been stripped of your self-righteousness and laid low in the dust of humility? Have you ever viewed by faith the glorious person of the Lord Jesus Christ, all because of a direct and personal revelation to you of God the Holy Ghost?
Sinner friend, I plead with you to not be deceived. Do not rest in your religious creeds, your attendance of religious worship, your so-called righteous acts. Rest only in Christ! Look only to him! Be not content with any religion if Christ is not the center and substance of it! Do not be deceived by man-made religion! Seek that which comes by divine revelation, as that which Simon Peter had in the opening Scripture. Simon was blessed to know who Christ was by a personal revelation to him of God the Father! This must also be true of us.
If Christ Jesus is not known to you by the revelation of the Holy Spirit, he is not known as the very wellspring of blessedness to the soul. If you only know Jesus by no more than the world knows, than the learned among men know, you have not the real blessing. If you only know the Lord of glory by what you have found out yourself, in reading or in talking to others, unaided by the Father's drawing power, you are not blessed with true salvation. If you know no more of Christ than what flesh and blood has revealed to you, you are nothing more than a Pharisee or Sadducee — religious, but lost without God — a separatist or a rationalist, but not a recipient of revelation and regeneration. May the eternal Jehovah reveal to you your true and undone condition before him!
Among the vast religious throngs of this earth there is to be found the true people of God. These chosen of the Father are also redeemed by the Son, and quickened by the Spirit. The elect of God know by deep acknowledgment of their sin that they are blind and ignorant by nature. The true children of God have been made humble; they confess their total dependence upon the grace and mercy of Christ, and place their entire confidence and faith in his meritorious righteousness and shed blood. In the Lord Jesus Christ alone do “We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
Reader, what do you know of this once-crucified, yet now living Christ? Does his name bring gladness to your heart? Do you love the fragrance of his person? Is he more than just a religious leader to you? Beware of misty and cloudy views of King Jesus! Beware that you only have a head knowledge of him! Make sure that Christ is your Surety, your Substitute, your Sacrifice, your Savior. Beware of any religion which belittles him, or that does not exalt him as the only way to God.
Do you believe in Jesus by an inward discernment of him? Do you clearly see him as the Son of man and the Son of God? Is he definitely your Lord and Savior, your propitiation (satisfaction) before God? If you know him thus you have not learned this by the instruction of men. You have had a direct and personal revelation made to you and in you by the Father concerning who Jesus Christ really is (Gal 1:16).
It is only when the Lord himself deals with you, taking you in his powerful hand, that you are truly taught who Christ is. You may have heard about Jesus, but you only know him as “the Son of the living God” when illuminated and quickened by God the Spirit. Jesus came forth from God, and the power to know Christ comes forth from God also. If you have Christ, you have the new birth! If you have Christ, you have eternal life! If you have not Christ, you have nothing but dead, lifeless, counterfeit religion! Said our blessed Master: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him” (John 6:44). May divine power draw you this day, poor sinner! May you see Christ in all his beauty! May you come to worship and serve only him! Christ is to be seen, but in the light which he himself supplies. May that light shine unto you even now, and to our glorious God be all the glory!
(I know we featured this article once before on one of the blogs. But it says so much that I recently sent it to my email subscribers, and I wanted to place it here as well. You can subscribe to our email letters. Email your request to us at graceman@minister.com) Published by Charles Woodruff
The current edition of Free Grace Broadcaster (Fall, 2010) is entirely devoted to the subject of "Contentment." It is filled with excellent, practical help on why we are often discontent, and why we must be content in Christ. This is an important, though much-neglected subject. Note how calmness, contentment, and a holy satisfaction are promised to God's children: "My people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord" (Jeremiah 31:14). "And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children" (Isaiah 54:13). "Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, who has loved us, and has given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work" (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17). These are all positive declarations, with no conditions attached whatever!
But men are depraved in sin and deprived of grace by nature. We grovel in the muck and mire of this world, making us discontent with life and with God. Our hearts are dead and unfruitful, alienated from our Creator, and in rebellion against him. As C. H. Spurgeon has so wisely observed: "Very few of the sons of men are ever satisfied, let their lot be what it may; they have swallowed the horse-leech, and it continually cries, 'Give! give!' (Proverbs 30:15). Only sanctified souls are satisfied souls. God himself must both convert us and content us." No wonder Proverbs 30:16 goes on to tell us of the "four things" that are "never satisfied" -- "the grave, the barren womb, the earth, the fire." These four are "discontent" indeed.
And what of you and I? Do we not sorely need this lesson? Covetousness is rampant in America and across the world. Greed has so gripped us, idolatry has so ensnared us, and lusts have so conquered us, that we seem to be insensible of our true condition. Teach this to people, and they get angry with you immediately. None of us like to be told we are "pure in our own eyes, yet not washed from our filthiness," or that we have "lofty eyes" (Proverbs 30:12-13). This is why our land is filled with cursers, blasphemers, and grumblers. This is the cause of our political and social unrest. This is why so many marriages are on the meltdown, and why there are so many divorces today, even among those who have been married for many years.
There is absolutely no answer to all of this "discontentment with life" but the free grace of God! Only "the precious blood of Christ" can loose us and wash us from our sad "dissatisfaction." Hear the blessed counsel of our Savior: "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). You need go to no other Counselor, for his counsel is always free, and always effectual. His is true rest, true joy, true peace, that "None but Zion's children know."
What is the best safe-guard against false teaching? Beyond all doubt the regular study of the word of God, with prayer for the teaching of the Holy Spirit. The Bible was given to be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. (Psalm 119:105.) The man who reads it aright will never be allowed greatly to err. It is neglect of the Bible which makes so many a prey to the first false teacher whom they hear. They would have us believe that "they are not learned, and do not pretend to have decided opinions." The plain truth is that they are lazy and idle about reading the Bible, and do not like the trouble of thinking for themselves. Nothing supplies false prophets with followers so much as spiritual sloth under a cloak of humility. Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew, [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1986], 68, 69.
"The work unto which the servant of Christ is called is many-sided. Not only is he to preach the Gospel to the unsaved, to feed God's people with knowledge and understanding, and to take up the stumbling stone out of their way, but he is also charged to 'cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgression'”
One of the prize books in my library is a little book written in 1857 by a British contemporary of Charles Spurgeon. It was published by Sheldon Blakeman and Co., New York (his authorized USA publisher). The observations of young Mr. Spurgeon (many of which are first hand), gives us a look at him soon after he began ministry which is in many ways unique. Here is a short excerpt from this old book.
We must confess, that for ourselves, the spectacle which is presented by Mr. Spurgeon's preaching to the poor of London, is more affecting than the hearing of the most pathetic strains of his eloquence. No wonder that it cheered the sad heart of John the Baptist, when in prison he was told that Christ was preaching glad tidings to the poor, and that it prepared him joyfully to lay down his neck for his fidelity to the souls of the rich.
See what crowds of artisans are turning away from the halls of the political meetings, of the infidel lectures, and the minor theaters, to gather about Mr. Spurgeon's pulpit. See the weary laborers of Bankside going to hear him. even on the nights of the week days. See twelve thousand of the working people of Bethnal Green, flocking around him in the open field at Hackney.Take a nearer view. Fix your eyes on individuals here and there. See the poor harlot, who was a few minutes ago passing the doors of the New Parkstreet chapel, determined to cast herself off Blackfriars Bridge. She thought she would step in and for the last time hear something that will prepare her to stand before her Maker. She is just in time to hear the text, "Seest thou this woman?" The preacher speaks of Mary Magdalen, her sins, her washing the Saviour's feet with her tears, and wiping them with the hair of her head. There stands the woman, melted with the thoughts of her own past life, as she hears it described, and more melted with the description of the pardoning love of Jesus. Thus is she saved from death, temporal and eternal.
Go and hear him, ye Thackerays, who satirize the lying, the lust, and the vanity of the English aristocracy, without offering any remedy therefor.—There is a man who is offering the remedy to the vices of some even of these.
Go and hear him, ye Dickenses, whose stories of the shame, the loneliness, the misery, and the patience of London's poor, have dissolved many a fine lady in tears, without opening her hand to imploring woe. There is a man of liberal and loving soul, who actually shakes hands with all this dirt and rags, searches for the hearts that are buried beneath it, and holds them up to the light of the cross, where they fledge their wings and soar to the glories of heaven.
Go and hear him, ye who are secretly glorying in the large donations ye have made for the benefit of the poor.There you will find a man who in body, soul, spirit, and grace, is God's own donation to the poor, preaching to them the good old gospel of his grace, in good old English words, and, by the aid of his good Spirit, leading them to the Good Shepherd, "God's unspeakable gift."
From Spurgeon, Life and Ministry; Sheldon, Blakeman and Company, New York,1857. Copied from the original book. I tried to preserve the original wording and punctuation. Only the spacing has been changed. A reprinted modern printing may be available from Amazon. It has been recently printed, and this new printing assigns the authorship to George L Stephenson, 1857 (Charles Woodruff, editor of this excerpt).
When thinking of more modern evil men, often the name Adolph Hitler, or Joseph Stalin comes to mind. Or possibly Sadam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden or Pol Pot. These are all evil men. Did you know that there are many evil men in the Bible? Also, quite a few evil women. All of us are born in sin. We all have the nature of Adam. Unless God intervenes by His sovereign power, we stay sinful, and lost. All men are sinners, but all are not necessarily as wicked as they could be. Some are more horribly wicked than others. I want to examine briefly those men and women who are the Bible’s five most wicked sinners. Perhaps another time will look at the Bible’s most godly characters. It is my list, and you may have a different one. I am not trying to be exhaustive in the manner of Dr. Herbert Lockyer in his excellent series of books such as All the Women of the Bible, etc… Let me know your vote on “five most evil”. I’d like to know your choices. Also, what is your choice for most righteous, other than Jesus Christ?
1) Judas Iscariot. He has to be at the top of my list. His betrayal of the Lord Jesus Christ earned him that position, in my opinion. He was a conniving man, and a thief. He did not fool Jesus who gave His prophecy straight on who it was that would betray Him.(see Matthew 26:21). I know he was ordained, or chosen to this condemnation (Matthew 26:24; John 6:70; Jude 4). It was his destiny, yet he was guilty, and he was evil.
2) Pontius Pilate. He was an evil man for many reasons. Jesus told him who He was, and yet he refused to believe it, even though he said “I find no fault in this man (Luke 23:4; John 19:4,6). He washed his hands. He will try to wash them for eternity, but he cannot remove the stain of sin. Nothing can, but the blood of the very Man he had crucified. As the creed says, Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate, the only human authority who could have released Him; he wanted to do so, but he was a coward.
3) Jezebel. The first woman on our list. She was an evil woman. She was a follower of false gods. She was a witch (2 Kings 9:22). Her reputation was so scary that Elijah trembled at her promise to kill him (1 Kings 19:2), the very prophet who had stood against the prophets of Baal, and not only had victory at Mount Carmel, but brought rain to parched Israel (1 Kings 18:38, 41).
4) Pharaoh. This particular Pharaoh was ruthless and a very proud man. He refused to let Israel go, in spite of the confrontations with the servants of Jehovah; Moses and Aaron (Exodus 5:1; Exodus 8:8). He would be defeated and rise back up to obstinately oppose Jehovah’s stated purpose again. Finally he lost everything, including his first born child (Exodus 11:5-7), and eventually even his own life (Exodus 14:28; 15:19).
5) Herod. This was Herod the Great, son of Antipater, an Idumean. He was a vicious, selfish ruler who feared giving up his power to the predicted King of Israel. He had all the male children under two years old killed. He was determined to kill Christ, but God’s purpose must be fulfilled. Until then no one could kill Jesus. All the Herod family was wicked, but this one was the worst. He had several of his ten wives killed. He wanted so badly to destroy Christ, yet it is recorded that this Herod died when Jesus was very young (Matthew 2:14-18).
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"He must increase, I must decrease" (John 3:30). My name is Charles Woodruff. I am 74 years old, and my desire is to serve God the rest of my days, preaching the old evangelical gospel that Paul and Peter preached, that Calvin preached, that Whitefield preached, that Spurgeon preached, and that Isaac Watts wrote about in his hymns. You are welcome! I hope you like our blogs.Your comments are also welcome. Please feel free to comment.
